Surfacing process



Oct. 27, 1925-- w. F. BLEECKER SURFACING PROCESS Filed July 22, 1922 I".I i 9 INVENTOR. 1 f". B/eec/cen ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,558,782 PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN F. BLEECKER, OF BOULDER, COLORADO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN F. Bnnnoxnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boulder, in the county of Boulder andState of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Surfacing Processes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of building or repairing roads andother structures of plastic material and its main object is to provide asimple and very efiective method of causin a plastic material of thekind used in surfacing roads and building structures, to become a solidand permanently adherent part of the substance with which it is broughtin contact.

My invention is particularly adapted to be employed in mending concreteroads and it is in this connection that it will hereinafter be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawin in the several views of which corresponding parts aresimilarly designated,

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the mechanical applianceemployed in the process, in its operative relation to a defectivesection of a roadway; and

Figures 2 and 3 the section of the road, drawn to an exaggerated scale,showing different steps in the process of repairing the same inaccordance with the present in vention..

In the drawings I have shown as at A, a section of a concrete road whichwas sunk, broken or otherwise rendered defective 'b long or heavy travelor other causes. t will be evident that the surface of the defe'ctiveportionis rough and irregular and that in order to repair the road toits original condition, it is essential that a filling of plasticmaterial be made to adhere to said surface so as to become a solid andpermanent part of the road structure. With this object in view, I firstclean the surface to be re aired, referably by washing it with a di uteacid? muriatic acid being preferred, in order to bare its silicategrains for the adherence of a plastic substance with. which it issubsequently coated. The acid removes the calcium silicate, cal- I ciumcarbonate andv otheracid-soluble matter from the openings, pores andcrevices-of the rough and broken surface, and forms moved by flushingthe surface sunracma rnocnss.

Application filed July 22,1922. Serial No. 576,887.

The cleaned surface is now dried by the ap- 1 plication of heat andsubsequently covered by a bell-shaped chamber the wall of which is inair-tight contact with the contiguous circumscribmg portions of theroad. This bell which has been designated in the drawings by thereference numeral 5, may be of any desired form and proportions and itfunctions in the process to' relieve the se tion of the structure to berepaired, from atmospheric pressure. The chamber has to this "end anannular elastic base 6 which fills up and compensates for theirregularities of the surface upon which the chamber is su ported, so asto make an air-tight joint. hould the surface be more than ordinarilyirregular, the bell may be set in a narrow, shallow and annular bed ofuicksetting cement such as plaster of which when hardened, affords a'smooth and even surface upon which the bell will rest.

The chamber is by means of a conduit 7 connected with a convenientlylocated means for the exhaust of air from its interior; it has anopening 8 for the admission of the material to be applied to the surfaceover which it is placed. A window 9' afi'ords means to observe the work,a flexible gland 10 permits of the movement of a rake, brush, rabble orother tool 12 by means of which the material is applied to the surface,and an incandescent. lam 13 in connection with a source of electricityoutside of the chamber, illuminates the same while the process ofmending the defective surface is in progress.

After the air is exhausted from the pores and crevices of the surfaceover which the bell is placed, a quantity of melted bitumen (pitch orasphaltum) is introduced into the chamber through the openin 8 and isevenly spread over the broken area by means of the tool which ismanipulated from outside the bell by a workman who observes theapplication of the material through the window 9. After the entiresurface has thus been coated, air is admitted to the chamber with theresult that the plastic substance is forced into the evacuated pores andcrevices of the surface, and thereby takes a firm and tenacious hold ofthe concrete or other material of which it is composed, as shown at B inFigure 2 of the drawings. In fact it may be said that the bituminoussubstance being forcibly drawn into the partially evacuated myriadintercellular spaces and aris infinite number of roots and tendrilswhich anchor the superposed coating in place.

After the bell has been removed and while the coating is still in aliquid or semi-liquid condition the broken section of the road or otherstructure is filled to the level of the surrounding surface with anysuitable material such as bithulithic as halt or Topeka mixture, shownat G in igure 3, which being in a class with the bituminous coating,becomes an integral and solid part thereof upon hardening.

It will be understood that the drying of the cleaned surface in theinitial step of the process does not need to be complete, provided thatthe excess of moisture is removed so as to permit of the voids of thestructure being completely filled with the bituminous coating material.

A temperature of approximately 200 F. will be found to be sufficientunder most conditions. 1

My invention is as stated before, particularly suitable for mendingbroken and worn concrete road-surfaces, but it will be apparent from theabove description that it may be used with equally satisfactory resultsin repairing structures made of stone, brick, wood and other materials.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The process ofsurfacing a non-bituminous structure consisting in first coating acleaned surface with a lastic' material under a partial vacuum, subecting the coating to a fluid pressure whereby it is forced into thepores and crevices of the surface, and covering the coating with aplastic maiteriala 2. The process of surfacing a non-bitumr nousstructure, consisting in first coating av cleaned surface with abituminous substance under a partial vacuum, subjecting the coating to afluid pressure whereby it; is forced into the pores and crevices of thecoating with] plastic material.

surface, and covering the coating with a similar or kindred substance.

3. The process of surfacing a non-bituminous structure, consistin infirst cleaning a surface by an acid was drying the surface, coating thesame with a plastic substance under a partial vacuum, subjecting thecoating to a fluid pressure whereby it is forced into the pores andcrevices of the surface, and covering the coating with a plasticsubstance.

4. The process of surfacing a non-bituminous structure consisting incoatingv a cleaned surface with a bituminous substance under a partialvacuum, subjecting the coating to a fluid pressure whereby to force itinto the pores and crevices of the surface, and covering the coatingwith" bitulithic asphalt.

5. The process of surfacing a non-bituminous structure consisting incoating a surface with a bituminous substance, under less thanatmospheric pressure, exposing the coating to the atmosphere, andcovering the same with a plastic substance. 6. The process of surfacinga non-bituminous structure consisting in first coating a cleaned surfaceof the structure with a plastic'substance under a partial vacuum,subjecting the coating to fluid-pressure whereby it is forced into thepores and crevices of the surface, and covering the" coating withbituminous material.

7. The process of surfacing a non-bituminous structure consisting infirst coating a cleaned surface of the structure with a bituminoussubstance under a partial vacuum, subjecting the coating tofluid-pressure whereby it is forced into the pores and In testimonywhereof I have 'aflixed my signature j v 'revices of the surface, andcovering the a

